What I am reading...

I am reading the following at this time:

(1) The Uplift Saga (3 books) by David Brin. This is pure sci fi fantasy, but really enjoyable.

(2) Several SharePoint books.

(3) about to start on a book about BizTalk 2009...

What's going on....

It has been a while since I posted... This is just a quick "what's going on" update...

(1) Pricing Leadership Blog.

I am doing some light blogging over at http://www.pricingleadership.com. This is meant to be a blog about topics related to Pricing and I will be writing about technology topics.

(2) Keeping busy at work.

My team is working on several technology areas, from SharePoint MOSS 2007 to Blackberry to Salesforce.com, to name a few. I am drinking from the fire hose lately.

(3) Resting a bit.

My wife and I bought a house out at Lake Conroe, and we have been spending some weekends out there.


There is some really interesting stuff going on and I will write some posts soon. I have been getting a lot of experience with off-shoring, or really near-shoring, as some of our new development areas are being built working with a partner. There are some good lessons in this area I can share, especially around Agile and remote teams.

If you are interested in any of these topics, post a comment and let me know and I will target some future posts.

I hope things are going well for you in this economy. It is tough right now.

John

Book Review on Code Squeeze: Steve Krug's 'Don't Make Me Think'

Code squeeze beat me to it... so I am linking in their review of the book...

http://www.codesqueeze.com/book-review-dont-make-me-think/

My first thoughts on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS 2007)

I am spending a lot of time over this break learning about SharePoint.

So far, I have to say I am very impressed. Microsoft has put together an application that will allow individuals with some data modeling and high-level software design skills the ability to build applications that are web-based with very little effort. This application, to me, just makes sense.

My company set up SharePoint 2003 and I just didn't get it. It seemed like a file-system, but with less usability and multiple annoyances, such as IT departments having drank the Microsoft marketing kool-aid to push it on us. I didn't see what value it really added.

Now I see where Microsoft has been investing in R&D in the last 4 years. The 2007 version is very powerful. I have researched SalesForce.com as well as other application configurator tools. MOSS incorporates many of the features, as well as integrating with Active Directory and Office on the Desktop. Offline capabilities are available. Much of the configuration capabilities are handled through the web browser.

The integration with Outlook 2007 is awesome. Some of the prebuilt workflows include document approvals, with integration as a Task in Outlook, and even notifications using email with workflow integration.

Microsoft appears to have built an amazing product, with lots of capabilites, to help companies manage the multitude of documents that are sitting on file systems. I can see where Bill is coming from in his optimism about the future of Microsoft competing with Google.

The battle is certainly not over, but I can see MOSS taking a hold in the enterprise. The capabilities are there now. Office is on a lot of corporate desktops. People are used to using it.

Count me as a believer! ... more to come as I learn more...

Bright ideas for 2009

This is a nice collection of quotes from Houston people.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6183157.html

"...Houston is an utterly optimistic place. The surveys, he said, repeatedly show "that area residents remain stubbornly optimistic about their own and the region's future, despite deepening anxieties about the direction in which the country as a whole is heading."

Houston Farm Corps creator wins cash prize

http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=11874&SnID=1521497554

"Hurricane Ike left more than 5.6 million cubic yards of fallen trees, broken branches and dead greenery in Houston, and Mayor Bill White today awarded a $2,500 cash prize to a Rice University employee who suggested founding Houston Farm Corps, a youth-oriented volunteer gardening initiative that would both get rid of the debris and teach kids the value of growing their own food."

Josh Tabin's post on the Rice Alliance event

http://www.startuphouston.com/2008/12/14/one-crazy-week-part-1/

This is a good post. He has some additional information that I missed in my post.